Angled Whiteboards

First you get a Valentine, then you get Vista.

Here’s the official statement:

Look for support and compatibility with Vista to begin on 2/15, depending on your video card. GameTap is dependent on updated video card drivers from hardware manufacturers like ATI, Nvidia, and Intel. Different video cards will be supported as those companies release their updated drivers. Even though GameTap is currently incompatible with Vista, we are fully committed to supporting Microsoft’s new operating system. Our technicians are hard at work at making the service compatible.You can find a list of supported video cards on the GameTap website or visit the GameTap KnowledgeBase for more information.

The rest of the February 15th update is wrapped around performance and usability (including a number of features you’ve asked for in the Suggestion Box). Here’s a peek at things to come:

We’ll have a whole lot to talk about, very soon!

The Adaptive Path folks figured out a great solution to their cavernous room woes: The Monoliths.

You know how you guys have been all eagle-eyed with the email announcements and the Coming Soon ring? Not letting any game slip through the cracks? Well it’s certainly helped us step our game up. So this is pretty sweet: we’ve got an Angled Whiteboards EXCLUSIVE easter egg for you, our devoted readers (and your friends, and hopefully your friends’ friends…).

Hidden in today’s new catalog is Interstate 76. Only you won’t find it in the New Games ring. In fact, you won’t find it anywhere under the name Interstate 76. Head to the search ring, search on “Groove Champion” (star of the game), and BOOM. There’s your game. That racing/hot-rod week is still on the books (now slated for late Feb.), and we’ll be officially releasing all the originally promised games then. But you can play Interstate 76 all you want in the meantime.

Do us a favor though: we’d LOVE nothing more than to continue to pull this kind of stunt off with you guys. Please spread the word about this stealth release — so that our numbers guys see a bump in play for a game that supposedly isn’t even out yet! After all, how viral can one little UI blog be?

So the big new release this week is obviously the 3rd Sam & Max episode. Can’t wait to dive in to that.

Otherwise, make sure you Commando afficianados give Gunsmoke (or, more accurately, Gun.Smoke) a shot. It’s CRAZY how Commando-templatized it feels, right down to the music… and yet, so niftily old westerned-up with the double pistol action. Fun stuff. Bonus: a NINJA BOSS. Come ON.

New Games:

• Alpha Mission
• Gunsmoke
• Ocean Commander
• Sam & Max: Episode 3 “The Mole, The Mob, and the Meatball”
• Shanghai
• Street Smart

New on GameTap TV:

• GameTap News: Consumer Electronics Show
• Sam & Max: The Trouble with Gary
• Sealab 2021: Hail, Squishface

It’s another poll. And this one is a silly debate that xamount and I have been having all day. I tend to think it’s a boy-girl thing (which probably means I’ll lose, since most of you, our loyal readers, are of the boy type).

Anyway, today the question is: When are dates ascending?

Things to think about

• Is a recent date smaller than one further in the past?
• Or, is a date simply a number, where 2005 is less than 2006?
• All dates in question are in the past.

Once again, please give us your opinions and comments (although we know there’s not as much to say about this).

(Every week or so, we round up what others are saying about GameTap and present a sampling of the chatter. Let us know if you see other GameTap-related posts out in the wild!)

• Kehra figures us out and gives us a hug.
• Morningmist83 sounds like an emo kid with a new addiction.
• GammingGirl answers the call of Culexor’s rant with video proof.
• sumiyoshi writes about getting on the Super Breakout leaderboard (as hi_tsukasa) — and in the process gets added to my buddy list. Looks like I (along with AW regular batzradio!) need to keep working at this:

• Purple Dragoness is having fun with Myst Online’s co-op puzzles and her “beloved GameTap account.” Oh, and she works for TiVo (I’ve been a fan since my first box back in ‘99)! So she definitely knows the value of a good interface.
• Ashke is an MC Chris fan who shouldn’t feel required to bow.
• Joe seems to have uncovered a decent source for keeping up with GameTap’s latest releases.
• Freelancers Marketplace has an interesting project up for bid. Good to know there are always other chances for Dinah and I to design “3D navagation” if this whole GameTap thing falls through.